It is often desirable to apply a cushion-like covering to an otherwise rigid handle of an implement for improved comfort and grip. However, constructions and materials used in existing grips, especially those that can be applied and replaced by the user, are not satisfactory for many applications. In the food industry, in particular, a satisfactory slip-resistant replaceable handle cushion is needed.
Health standards in the food industry, especially the meat butchering and cutting industry, dictate a high degree of cleanliness and cleanability for equipment, including knives and other cutting tools, both hand operated and power driven. As a result, the materials used to fabricate the tools are typically non-porous, such as stainless steel, aluminum, or plastic, to minimize the foci where soil can accumulate. Power-driven hand knives, for example, typically have smooth metal or plastic handles with, perhaps, a small knurled portion to facilitate gripping by the user. The fluids and fats which result from cutting meat or other comestibles lead to slipperiness between the meat-cutter's hand or glove and the cutting tool handle.
Power tools compound the problem of slippage by contributing motor vibrations, sudden torque, and mechanical shock which can jar the tool from the operator's hand. The vibration also causes fatigue and discomfort that makes gripping the tool more difficult. Typically an operator tends to grip a slippery or vibrating tool more firmly by applying more hand pressure which leads, in the short run, to operator fatigue and, in the longer run, to occupational disabilities of the hand and forearm.